Translucent hanging artworks connect the “micro” world to our own
Reception Saturday, March 6, 2010 – 7-11

Art & Ideas Contemporary Art Gallery & Studio, a recently opened art gallery and teaching studio located just north of Plymouth, is showing new artwork in March that has never been displayed in Michigan. The exhibition, called “Macro-Biology Tapestries,” is composed of hanging “gel-medium transfer prints” created by artist-in-residence Shaqe Kalaj. The show’s free opening reception will be Saturday, March 6, 7-11 pm, with a short talk and an interactive demonstration of technique by the artist at 7:30.

The gel-medium transfers are composed of layers of clear resin laid over enlarged microscope photographs of biological cells. The large (3’x3’) works allow light to pass through them; thus, “They’re hung from the ceiling so they can be viewed from both sides,” says Kalaj. A bit of bright color helps bring out the complexity of the tiny cell structures, which appear both organic and abstract at the same time.

The gallery is also currently previewing the work of two experienced artists who will be part of their own major exhibition at Art & Ideas this summer. Plymouth resident Charles Aimone is showing his colorful, multi-layered paintings that typically feature dogs as their central image. Aimone says he tries to bring out the poorly understood intelligence of dogs in these works. “Dogs know more about us than we know about them,” he says. The other veteran artist is sculptor Joan Painter Jones, who creates assemblages of machine parts and found objects. “The pieces seem as if they’re ready to start moving on their own at any moment,” says gallery director Mike Tolinski.

Functioning also as a teaching and working studio, Art & Ideas has also begun “Demo Saturdays,” 3-7pm each Saturday, during which the artist-in-residence gives a demonstration of techniques used in an actual work-in-progress. Art & Ideas also continues to offer informal, drop-in art lessons on Mondays (7pm, for adults) and Saturdays (10am, for teens and “tweens”).

Art & Ideas is located at 15095 Northville Rd. in Plymouth Township, in Provincetown Center. It’s across from Phoenix Lake, just north of the eastbound 5 Mile Rd. intersection, right at the intersection where northbound Edward Hines Drive ends at Northville Rd. For a map, directions, or other details, see www.artandideasgallery.com or call 734-420-0775.